White Snow, Red Strawberries
by hellosweetpea
Summary: The first snow has fallen on Idris and it is not the only thing falling. Why is Valentine rounding up those he can trust? Pre-Circle.


**A/N: This is a sorta wintery story. I listened to Pentatonix's White Winter Hymnal on a loop while I wrote this (it was great inspiration). It's pre-Circle, which was probably the hardest thing about it to write. I hope you all enjoy! **

**Disclaimer: It's all Cassandra Clare's  
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White Snow, Red Strawberries

Valentine walked along the outskirts of Brocelind Forest in search of something, someone. He peered between trees waiting, waiting for the right moment. He heard a rustle through the trees and turned his head in time to miss someone. He smiled smugly. Perfect.  
>-o-O-o<br>"Just go over there and ask her!"  
>"No, she has to come over to me. I don't beg."<br>"Why does it have to be my sister?"  
>Stephen looked at Luke and grinned. "Have you seen your sister? Besides what's wrong with adding me to the family?"<br>"You Herondales aren't how you used to be."  
>Michael laughed while Stephen crossed his arms and pouted. "I disagree."<br>Robert looked up from his demonology book. "What are you three arguing about?"  
>Michael draped an around Robert's shoulders. "Stephen's chances of getting a date with Amatis. He refuses to ask her out-"<br>"She has to come to me," insisted Stephen.  
>Michael looked up to face Stephen. "That's what you say." He turned back to Robert. "Besides, when are you going to ask Mayrse? We all know you're smitten with her."<br>Robert's ears tinged a faint shade of pink and he punched Michael in the shoulder before he buried his face in his book. "Gah, you bastard that hurt," whined Michael.  
>"Michael leave Robert alone," Luke said sternly.<br>Michael frowned and patted Robert's shoulder. "Lightwood knows I'm just joking. Where's Valentine? He said to meet him at the Academy steps."  
>Stephen smirked. "I bet he's with Jocelyn."<br>Luke went a tad pale and Michael laughed. "They just started dating and she's completely enamored with him. She's not going anywhere; they have plenty of time."  
>Valentine walked up the steps of the Academy. "Ah hem."<br>Michael's smile faded from his face and he looked at Valentine. "Uh, sorry. How is Jocelyn?"  
>"Fine. I have selected you four for a special task," explained Valentine.<br>"What kind of special task," asked Luke as he looked him in the eye.  
>"One that must be treated with the utmost discretion. I believe I can trust all of you."<br>"Sure you can," said Stephen with a grin.  
>"Whatever you need," added Michael.<br>"Alright," said Robert as he closed his book.  
>"Of course," said Luke with certainty.<br>Valentine gave a curt nod. "Good. I suggest you prepare for battle; I'm not sure how this will turn out."  
>Robert frowned. "What are we doing?"<br>"Just follow me and you will be fine," explained Valentine.  
>-o-O-o-<br>The five Shadowhunters walked to the edge of an alley; the only thing separating them from the outside was the wards. "We're going out there," asked Michael.  
>"Something is wrong in Brocelind Forest. I was asked to round up a team to take care of it," explained Valentine.<br>"Then why don't we go through the gate? You know, like normal people," asked Robert with steely eyes.  
>"I told you discretion," Valentine repeated.<br>He gave Valentine a curt nod and his facial expression did not change.  
>"Now, I want you to follow me. Do not stray away and don't attack until I give the signal. Can I trust you?"<br>The boys all nodded in agreement and Valentine walked through the barrier and outside of the protective limits of Idris.  
>-o-O-o-<br>The snow crunched under their feet and their cloaks moved with the breeze. As they walked farther in Brocelind forest the trees got thicker and the light dimmed. Valentine took out a witch light and held it close to his chest so that its glow would not alert the whole forest of their location. They continued to walk until Valentine held a hand up, the sign for them to stop.  
>He stared harshly out at the empty plain in the middle of the forest. "Here is where we need to be."<br>"You still haven't told us what we are doing," whispered Michael.  
>Valentine scanned the opening meticulously. "We wait until they show up."<br>None of the Shadowhunters asked who it was they were waiting for. In Brocelind Forest there are only so many options. Valentine crouched down to be hidden from view and the others followed his example. The Shadowhunters' breath came out in hot puffs and hung in the air; an occasional breeze would come sweeping in and ruffle the bottom of their cloaks. Luke shifted and the snow crunched under his feet. Robert pulled out his steele and handed it to Michael so that he could put a rune on his shoulder. Stephen broke a branch off a tree and wrote in Latin in the snow. Valentine continued to be motionless, not making a sound. A soft pad like feet came from the right and the Shadowhunters stopped what they were doing and turned to face in the direction the noise had come from.  
>The crunching noise and soft shuffling continued to come from that direction until someone came out into the opening, followed by several others. They may have appeared human, but no humans lived in Brocelind Forest.<br>They were werewolves.  
>The Shadowhunters were on edge, but Valentine kept his hand up, signaling the others not to make a move. The werewolves looked around the opening, searching for something, or someone. One started to make his way towards the others, his red scarf flapping in the wind that had picked up. He poked his face closer to where the Shadowhunters were; his eyes squinted. He reached out a hand and Valentine sprung up from their hiding spot and whipped out a silver dagger and buried it in the werewolf's chest. The other werewolves turned their heads and the Shadowhunters came rushing out from behind the trees.<br>Some of the werewolves began to transform, being consumed in fur and claws. The Shadowhunters pulled out whatever silver weapons they had on themselves and launched their attack. Robert and Michael took on three werewolves, Luke took two with Stephen while Valentine weaved through the fighting to find the pack leader. Claws and blades clashed and clanged, the noise ringing out in the forest. The Shadowhunters were careful not to be bitten. Stephen killed merciless; when one werewolf was still gasping for breath he was already on the next one. Robert and Michael watched each other's backs and protected the other one from being bitten. Luke helped break a path for Valentine so that he could find the pack leader, if he was even there.  
>One werewolf, larger than the others was battling with Michael. "Michael," shouted Valentine.<br>Michael turned a second too late and was pinned to the ground. Valentine threw his dagger and it sunk into the shoulder of the werewolf. He turned his head and growled at Valentine before charging. Michael rose to his feet and brushed away Robert's hand for help with a half grin before joining back into the fight.  
>The larger werewolf charged at Valentine, but he produced a large silver whip and cracked it towards the werewolf and effortless tied him up. The werewolf struggled against the whip, but it began to burn him; the air smelling of burnt fur and burning flesh. He began to howl and slowly turned back into a burly middle aged man with a great black beard streaked with grey. "Damn you, what do you want," spat the man.<br>Valentine placed a boot on the man's chest and leaned down towards his face. "One of your mutts thought it would be funny to bite a Shadowhunter child. Now tell me, where did they get the idea they could do that? You must obey our rules or you pay the price."  
>The man began to shake as the silver whip dug into his skin. "You kids don't get to decide the punishment. That's up to the Clave."<br>Valentine pulled the whip harder eliciting a shout of pain from the werewolf. "My fellow Shadowhunters were picked by the Clave to take care of the matter. I remind you that you mustn't question the rulings of your betters."  
>A scream was heard over the crowd and Valentine turned to look where it was coming from. "Luke, take care of him," growled Valentine.<br>Michael and Robert were in an intense fight with a large werewolf that had backed them up towards the edge of the clearing leaving only trees behind them. Michael tried to dodge the werewolf from the right, but he stretched his claws out and raked them down the side of Michael's body causing him to fall into the crisp snow; his blood turning it into a ripe strawberry red. Valentine watched as Robert silently ran forward and buried his silver knife into the heart of the werewolf.  
>The remaining werewolves ran back into the forest away from the Shadowhunters. Robert pulled out his steele and began to draw iratzes over Michael's body. The Shadowhunters regrouped amongst the dead werewolf bodies lying on the forest floor. Valentine surveyed the damage and frowned. "Luke, where is the pack leader?"<br>Luke threw Valentine's bloody silver whip at his feet, stone faced. "I let him go."  
>Valentine slapped Luke across the face, but he didn't budge. "They were meant to be punished, all of them. It was supposed to be a warning to all of them."<br>"He probably won't make it back alive to where their pack is hiding. We didn't have to kill them all, Valentine," argued Luke.  
>"You can't be soft like that. We have to protect ourselves. Next time it might be your sister, or Jocelyn."<br>Luke froze at his words. Valentine gave him a poisonous look and turned his back on him to look at Michael. Robert had taken off most of the gear off of Michael's upper body so that he could draw inky iratzes on any patch of exposed skin. Michael's gear was shredded down his left side and the claw marks dug deep down his side as of his flesh was cream cheese. His blood continued to stain the snow a deep red, one reminiscent of the vampires that hunted in Brocelind Forest. "We need to take him back to Idris to the Silent Brothers," said Robert with urgency.

Valentine nodded and Robert and Stephen lifted Michael off the forest floor and began to carry him out of the plain. Valentine bent forward and picked up his whip and coiled it up and placed it back on his belt. "I can guarantee they will learn their lesson. They won't get away with harming one of us." The five Shadowhunters exited the clearing, leaving their work behind them.

**A/N: If you enjoyed this I suggest you look at my other stories as well!**


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